Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential Vulnerability
Cisco — Cisco Smart License Utility
A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential. This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.
9.8
92.1%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Sep 4, 2024
- Modified
- Oct 21, 2025
- Added to KEV
- Mar 31, 2025
- Federal patch due
- Apr 21, 2025
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2024-20439, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2024-20439 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2024-20439?
A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential. This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.
How severe is CVE-2024-20439?
CVE-2024-20439 has a CVSS base score of 9.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2024-20439 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2024-20439 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Mar 31, 2025, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2024-20439?
92.1% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 92.1% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).
Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2024-20439?
Yes - a public Nuclei template referencing CVE-2024-20439 exist in public repositories we checked.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-20439?
CVE-2024-20439 is classified under CWE-912 (Hidden Functionality).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2024-20439 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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